Friday, 16 October 2009

Don't forget the importance of essential fats. Your body is made up of fats, hormones need fats, your skin needs essential fats. So many people think cutting out all fats will help them lose weight - but this is a myth. If you starve yourself of fat your body will hang onto fat and you will not lose weight. This is because your body will think it is suffering under a famine and is programmed to hang onto fat.

Of course avoiding fried food, hydrogenated and trans fats is also essential. A small amount of organic butter is ok. The best oils to cook with are olive oil (if you have to fry) as it is the most stable under hot temperatures - and so is less likely to become carcinogenic. Olive oil is an Omega 9 oil and is consumed a lot in Mediterranean countries - which researchers say have less heart disease then other countries who don't use olive oil.

Also add coldpressed Omega 6 oils to your diet - a few tsps a day on salads or on food. These oils are sunflower or safflower oil. Walnut oil is good as it has some Omega 3 oils in it. Omega 3 oils are very important as they are harder to find in the diet than the Omega 6. Oily fish like mackeral, sardines, tuna, salmon cod are high in Omega 3. If you are vegetarian than add flax or hemp oil to your diet as they have both the Omega 6 and 3.

A good rule of thumb is if you have dry skin, and have to use a moisturiser, then you are very likely to be low in essential fats. Or you arent drinking enough water. If you are low in essential fats the symptoms are dry skin, eczema, asthma, PMS, arthritic aches and pains, 'chicken skin' on the backs of your arms or the tops of your thighs. That is tiny little raised goose flesh or spots (and they sometimes itch). Omega 3 is very good for memory and the brain. Our ancestors who lived near to the sea and ate more fish did have more developed brains.

And finally don't be scared of avocado! It has lots of these good fats.

Good fats like the Omega 3 can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And I take lots as it has been linked to preventing Alzheimers!

I do have references for any of the above, if anyone needs it.

And I have a discount account with Nutri, if anyone wants to buy cheap quality oils - anyone can use it - 10% off - (15% if spending over £60). Just ask :-) and I will email it to you.

Good Food 4 Life

I am a Nutrition Consultant - qualified at ION - passionate to help others create a more sustainable life at the same time as reaching optimum health and vitality. I work 1-on-1, run workshops, courses, talks etc Passionate about healthy food that tastes really good! Interested in community projects keeping food & business local,working to save the planet from climate change.I believe a lot of disease is the result of toxic overload, stress, parasitic invasion and the disappearance of home cooking 'from scratch' - not eating fresh natural foods. I also am just starting work as a doula for the dying - companion to those who are at the end of life and their families. Dedicated to support death and dying to be a better experience and to remove it from hospitalisation into a home environment or helping to create a hospital experience to be as safe, free from fear and as creative as desired.
If you have any nutrition questions you want to ask me then please do so on this blog or for info on nutrition consultations, workshops or doula support please do email me: food4health@live.co.uk